Winch mechanism



April 1962 c. RAMBALDI 3,031,168

WINCH MECHANISM Filed Dec. '7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. Car/a fiamba/dz' ATTORNEY April 5 c. RAMBALDI 3,031,168

WINCH MECHANISM Filed Dec. 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY//M/27-EM ATTORNEY United States Filed Dec. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 74,378 3 Claims. (Cl. 254-164) This invention relates to winch mechanisms and particularly to a winch mechanism which can in use be quickly released under load.

In many instances it is desirable to apply a load to an element to position it for use or to prevent unwanted movement of said element from a predetermined position in use and after a time because of changing conditions, to quickly remove the applied load on the element so that it may be differently positioned, or otherwise handled under load or no load conditions. Thus sailing is greatly facilitated when it is possible from a convenient point always within easy reach of the crew, on the mast or on the boom, to rapidly adjust the foot of the sail and the hoist tensions so that the shape of the sail and its drawing power may be changed as require rapidly. Sailing is furthermore greatly facilitated when in addition to the above it is possible to duplicate automatically predetermined sail settings. I have devised a simple and inexpensive releasable winch mechanism which makes the attainment of these desiderata easily possible.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a simple, rugged and easily manipulatable device through which an element connected to said device by an elongated tension applying member, may be moved to a position of use and therein maintained for an indefinite period and after said period rapidly released out of said first in use position and into a second in use position or into an out of use position.

It is also a principal object of my invention to provide a rugged Winch mechanism made up of a minimum number of parts and easily operatable to apply a predetermined loading on an element connected thereto by an elongated tension transmitting member, said winch including a reel for winding the elongated member thereon an elongated handle adapted to engage said reel for rotation of said reel in a direction to wind said elongated member thereon, means constantly holding said reel against rotation in the direction to unwind said elongated member from said reel, and means carried by said handle and operable by rotating the handle in the direction opposite to said winding direction to engage said holding means to release said reel therefrom and permit said elongated member to unwind from said reel. 'It is a further object of the invention to employ in the novel winch mechanism a reel whose side wall spacing is such that the elongated member receiving groove while wider than the width of the elongated member is substantially less than twice as wide so that in winding and unwinding the elongated member on the reel movement impeding tangles cannot take place. it is a still further important object of the invention to employ in the novel winch mechanism a ratchet wheel and detent pawl arrangement effective to limit rotation of the reel to the winding direction, and to provide on said handle a pawl for engaging the ratchet to rotate the reel in the winding direction and a member eifective to engage the detent pawl when the handle is moved in the unwinding direction, to remove the detent pawl from engagement with the ratchet wheel to free the ratchet wheel and reel for unwinding rotation.

The further objects, features and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description of a present preferred embodiment of my invention, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which,

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3,il3l,lfi8 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 FIGURE 1 is a modified perspective view of the novel winch,

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of the operating handle used for loading and releasing the winch,

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the winch and handle assembly showing the handle in phantom in the removed position,

[FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the winch and handle assembly illustrating the normal range of movement of the handle with the detent pawl in position to prevent unwinding rotation of the reel,

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 illustration the removal of the detent pawl to the reel release position,

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the winch, taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5,

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the winch, taken on lines 7-7 of FIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary section view similar to FIGURE 6 illustrating an alternative construction.

The winch of my invention is of general application and may be used in connection with a structure, apparatus or machine in which an elongated tension transmitting member such as a wire, a rope or the like, is placed under tension and its length reduced in connection with the positioning, or retaining in position, of an element of said structure, apparatus or machine and subsequently the tension on said wire, rope and the like, is quickly released to reestablish the original length and tension thereof. In one preferred form, the winch of my invention is especially adapted for use in connection with sail boats. In sail boat applications, the novel winch may be used for outhaul and downhaul work and when used makes for easier and faster sail setting. With the novel winch the clew outhaul may be brought in board as far along the boom as is desired and yet be within reach of the crew on all points of sailing. With the novel winch and while under way, the jib may be tightened for better windward Work, the main sail may be slacked for better running, the main sail may be pulled down for better setting and the sail settings may easily be changed. If a stop is used on the wire on the sail track, automatic sail setting may be obtained merely by releasing the winch.

A present preferred form of the releasable winch of the invention especially adapted for sail boat use is shown in the accompanying drawings. As shown, the novel releasable winch 10 includes a casing member Id of circular section which is bored or otherwise machined to provide a reel chamber 12 within the peripheral wall 13 and the bottom wall 14. A boss 15 extends centrally from the bottom wall 14 of the chamber 12 and is externally finished to provide a smooth cylindrical surface for mounting for rotation thereon the wire reel 16. The center of the boss 15 is bored to accommodate for rotation therein the pin 17 of the handle 18 to be described hereinafter. A circumferential groove 20 is machined in the boss 15 on the outer surface near the extending end thereof, -to accommodate a conventionally shaped snap ring retaining member 21.

A pair of ears 22 each of which has a countersunk hole 23: therein to accommodate a screw or similar fastener employed for attaching the winch 10 to a secure support, extends outwardly from the peripheral wall 13 of the casing member 11. Also projecting from the peripheral wall 13 is an ear, or lug 24, which is bored to receive a pin 25. The pin 25 is fixed in position in the ear 24, as by expanding the enclosed end thereof. The pin 25 mounts the detent pawl 26 and has a circumferential groove cut at the extending end thereof to receive a snap ring retainer 21 which holds the pawl 26 in position on the pin 25. The pawl 26 includes a detent element 27 and a nose piece 28. The peripheral surface of the pawl 26 between detent 27 and the nose piece 28 is shaped to provide a cam track 29 for purposes apparent hereinafter. The detent pawl 26 also includes a projection 30 against the flat surface of which bears one end of the coil spring 31. To maintain the spring 31 in position the projection 30 preferably has a hole therein to receive a straight end piece of said coil spring 31. The other end of the coil spring 31 bears against the external surface of a lug 32 that extends from the peripheral wall 13. The lug 32 also has a hole therein to receive a straight end piece of the coil spring 31 to maintain the other end thereof in position. The coil spring 31 serves to bias the pawl 26 to carry the detent element 27 thereof towards the center of the casing member 11.

The reel 16 is provided with side Walls 35 and 36 spaced apart to provide a groove 37 which preferably is of a width somewhat larger than the diameter of the wire 38 employed but somewhat narrower than twice the diameter of wire 38. In use the wire 38 will be wound as a single spiral so that upon release of the winch the possibility of snagging the wire 38 or otherwise interfering with its unreeling is eliminated. A tapped hole 39 opens on the external face of the reel wall 36 to receive a set screw 40 through which the end of the wire 38 is held firmly in position in the reel 16. The central hub 41 of the reel 16 is bored to provide a cylindrical surface having a rotating fit on the external surface of the boss 15. A snap retainer ring 21 holds the reel 16 in position on the boss 15. The reel wall 36 carries a ratchet wheel 42 thereon. The ratchet wheel 42 may be attached to the reel wall 36 or may be formed integrally therewith. The teeth of the ratchet Wheel 42 are so shaped that they will be engaged by the detent 27 to prevent rotation of the reel 16 in a counter-clockwise direction.

The end of the handle 18 opposite that mounting the pin 17, is bored to receive the pivot pin of a knob 43; this pivot pin is held in position in any preferred conventional way. Near the end carrying the pin 17, the handle 18 is bored to receive the pins 44 and 45 which are fixed in position in any preferred way in their respective bores. The pin 44 is adapted in the winch release operation to engage the cam track 29 while the pin 45 mounts the pawl 46 that is adapted to engage the ratchet wheel 42 during wire winding. The pin 45 is grooved to seat a snap ring retainer 21 to hold the pawl 46 in position. The pin 44 and the pawl 46 each carries a small pin 47 mounted thereon. The pins 47 mount the ends of the coil spring 48 which biases the pawl 46 towards the pin 44.

As best shown in FIGURES l-3, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1-7, the handle 18 is not permanently attached to the casing member 11 but rather the handle 18 is placed in position in the casing member 11 only when winding of the wire 38 or release of the winch is required so that one handle 18 may serve for a number of casing members. As an alternative construction the handle 18 may be made to be permanently attached to the casing member 11, one way of doing this is shown in FIGURE 8. In this case the bottom wall 14 is machined to provide the recess 49 and the pin 17 is made of a length sufiicient to extend well into recess 49. In this case the pin 17 is held in position by a snap ring retainer 21 which is held in an appropriate groove formed at the end of the pin 17.

In the operation of the device and after the casing member 11 has been fastened, as for instance by screws passing through the ears 22, to an appropriate element of the craft such as the mast or the boom, and the wire 38 has been fastened in the reel 16 by the set screw 40 and to the sail element, the clew for example, in any preferred manner, the pin 17 of the handle 18 is positioned within the central bore of the boss 15. A slight movement of the handle 18 in a counter-clockwise direction will move the pawl 46 away from the pin 44 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 42. After this, movement of the handle 18 in a clockwise direction will rotate the reel 16 to wind the wire 38 thereon. The clockwise movement of the handle 18 is limited to substantially the dotted line position of FIGURE 4 as further clockwise movement will be stopped by the lug 52 that extends from the peripheral wall 13 of the casing member 11. During the clockwise movement just mentioned the detent 27 will ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 42 to permit the movement. The handle 18 will then be moved in a counter-clockwise direction to substantially the left dotted line position of FIGURE 4. This movement will be permitted by the pawl 46 riding over the teeth of the ratchet Wheel 42 while the detent 27 engages said teeth and resists rotation of the reel 16. Further counter-clockwise movement if attempted, will cause the pin 44 to encounter the lug 53. This is to be avoided during wire wind up. Thus to wind up the desired length of the Wire 38, the handle 18 is pumped back and forth between the dotted line positions of FIG- URE 4. When the wire 38 is wound up as desired, or required, the pin 17 is pulled out of the bore of the boss 15. A slight counter-clockwise movement will facilitate the removal.

When it is desired to release the tension on the Wire 38 the pin 17 of the handle 18 is positioned within the central bore of the boss 15 as before and after pawl 46 is aligned with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 42, the handle 18 is moved in a counter-clockwise direction until the pawl 46 encounters the disengaging lug 53. As the movement is continued, see FIGURE 5, the lug 53 rotates the pawl 46 about the pin 45 to carry the pawl 46 out of registry with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 42. After this action has begun the pin 44 engages the cam track 29 of the detent pawl 26 to rotate detent pawl 26 about the pin 25 to carry the detent 27 out of registry with the teeth of ratchet wheel 42. The action is so coordinated that the pawl 46 will be the first to go out of registry. The reel will then be unrestrained and will be rotated counter-clockwise by the unwinding wire 38.

When it is desired at release to limit the unwinding of the wire 38 to a predetermined amount as for automatic sail setting or for other purposes, a stop piece 51 is attached to the wire 38, as by a set screw, and a perforate stop piece 52 is attached to the boom, or other member, 50 adjacent the wire path. The Wire 38 passes through the stop 52 and the size of the stop piece 51 is larger than the hole in the piece 52 so that when the stop pieces 51 and 52 come together further movement of the wire 8 away from the casing member 11 is not possible. By properly relatively locating the stop pieces 51 and 52 any desired length of unwinding may be secured. When the stop pieces 51 and 52 come together the sail will automatically attain the predetermined setting.

The various parts of the novel winch may be made of any preferred material suitable to the service. Thus for sail boat application the casing member 11, the reel 16, the pawls 26 and 46 are preferably made of bronze while all of the pins and springs are made of stainless steel of sufficient corrosion resistance in fresh and salt water service.

It is to be noted that the handle 18 with the pawl 46 acts as a lever of the second class in the wire winding operation. As shown, a mechanical advantage of approximately 3:1 is provided. By changing the length of the handle 18 the mechanical advantage may be increased or diminished.

I claim:

1. A winch mechanism comprising reel means, an elongated force applying member having one end attached to said reel means and the other end adapted to be attached to a positionable element, means mounting said reel means for rotation about an axis to wind said attached end of said elongated member on said reel means to place said elongated member under tension, means rotatably positioned on said mounting means adapted to engage said reel means to rotate therewith about said axis in the elongated member winding direction and to rotate in the opposite direction independently of said reel means, means fixed relative to said mounting means adapted to engage said reel means to prevent rotation thereof in said opposite direction, means carried by said rotatably positioned means adapted in its movement in said opposite direction to engage said rotation preventing means to render said rotation preventing means inoperative and to release said reel for rotation in said opposite direction to permit said elongated member to unwind from said reel means, a stop piece attached to said elongated member, an element adjacent the path of movement of said elongated member and fixed relative thereto, and a second stop piece attached to said relatively fixed element adapted to engage said stop piece attached to said elongated member to limit the movement of the other end of said elongated member away from said reel means.

2. A winch mechanism comprising a reel housing member having a peripheral wall, a bottom wall and a central hollow boss extending from said bottom wall to define with said Walls a reel receiving chamber, a reel in said chamber mounted for rotation on said boss, said reel having spaced sides to provide a groove for receiving an elongated force applying member, an operating handle member, a pivot element carried at one end of said handle positionable for rotation in the hollow of said boss, ratchet means attached to the external side of said reel, detent means carried by said peripheral wall adapted to engage said ratchet means to prevent rotation of said reel in one direction, pawl means carried by said handle adapted to engage said ratchet means for unitary movement of said reel and handle in the opposite direction and to ride over said ratchet means for independent movement of said handle in said one direction, and means carried by said peripheral wall and said handle adapted to release said pawl means and said detent means from engagement with said ratchet means to permit independent rotation of said reel in said one direction.

3. A winch mechanism comprising and housing member having a peripheral wall, a bottom wall and a central hollow boss extending from said bottom wall to define with said walls a reel receiving chamber, a reel in said chamber mounted for rotation on said boss, said reel having spaced sides to provide a groove for receiving an elongated force applying member, a passageway in said peripheral wall for passing said elongated member into said groove, a handle member, a pivot pin positionable in the hollow of said boss carried at one end of said handle, a ratchet wheel attached to the external side of said reel, a detent pawl pivotally mounted on said peripheral wall adapted to engage said ratchet wheel to prevent rotation of said reel in one direction, said detent pawl including a cam track defining enlargement, a pawl pivotally mounted on said handle adapted to engage said ratchet Wheel for unitary movement of said reel and handle in the direction opposite to said one direction and to ride over said ratchet wheel for independent movement of said handle in said one direction, a stop piece carried on said peripheral wall adapted to engage said pawl in the movement of said handle in said one direction to carry said pawl out of registry with said ratchet wheel, and a pin carried by said handle adapted to engage the cam track of said detent pawl to rotate said detent pawl out of registry with said ratchet wheel as the movement of said handle in said one direction continues to release said reel for independent rotation in said one direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,236,616 Snow Aug. 14, 1917 2,121,993 Stocks June 28, 1938 2,501,253 Anglemyer Mar. 21, 1950 2,524,406 Swenson Oct. 3, 1950 

